


Good to see you

by IDMIDray



Series: Ironqrow week 2020 [4]
Category: RWBY
Genre: M/M, Making Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22275781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IDMIDray/pseuds/IDMIDray
Summary: In which James discovers Qrow is in Atlas, and they must "catch up."For Day 4 of Ironqrow week 2020: Sight for Sore Eyes
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood
Series: Ironqrow week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1600576
Comments: 2
Kudos: 76





	Good to see you

**Author's Note:**

> I'm pretty sure others have done this already but here's my take on that Ironqrow hug from chapter 2 of volume 7.  
> Comments are much appreciated.

"I swear if I have to sit through one more council meeting like that." James complained to Winter and Penny as they headed back to his office. That council meeting had been unwarranted, mostly the council using it as an excuse to complain about how James had been solely responsible for allowing an Atlas military ship to sneak past the embargo. It had been stolen. His men had informed him that the people responsible for stealing the ship had been apprehended, their weapons secured. Clover had even told them that they had even carried one of the relics with them. Once he had learned that, he had told Clover to secure the relic in his desk and to have the people brought to him.

"Yay! You're here!" He heard Penny say excitedly. Causing James and Winter to stop and turn around.

James stared at the many people in the foyer, his mind taking a second to process the scene ahead of him. Those were teenagers, in handcuffs. Being led by two soldiers. He hadn’t read the full report, having been in a council meeting and Clover hadn’t mentioned that the people responsible were teenagers. A few of them he recognized by name. The rest he could place at Vale, having seen them all participate in the Vytal festival. Minus the one boy that was.

Weiss Schnee stepped forward then being the first one to act, surprise on her face. "Winter."

James looked at Winter, who was clearly as shocked as him, that her sister was currently standing in the foyer with many other people.

Before Winter could fully process as well, a red-haired girl held her cuffed hands up. "Anyone wanna give us a hand with these?" she asked, clearly unconcerned that she had disrupted the sisters' reunion.

Winter jumped into action then, threatening the subordinates to remove the handcuffs. If he hadn't been so thrown off by the whole situation, James would have done it himself, so he was grateful that Winter was quick. Clearly enraged at Weiss' mistreatment. And honestly, the Ace ops should have recognized Weiss, but they had always been about completing the mission successfully, preferring to act first and ask questions second.

James watched the soldiers hurry to unlock everyone's handcuffs in slight amusement and that's when he saw him. Qrow. Here in Atlas. In handcuffs. He could take a second to appreciate how good Qrow looked, how he seemed different. His red eyes seemed sharper.

After the handcuffs were removed from everybody’s wrists, he dismissed the soldiers and welcomed the group of teenagers and Qrow into his office.

"Please, come in." James said, adopting his best hospitality attitude to hopefully make up for the fact that they had been arrested. No one had had all the information and so his men had to act on the information that they had.

"It is so good to see all of you." he said, sincerely which he had directed mostly at Qrow since, again, he didn't really know the rest of them that well. He knew Taiyang's daughters and Qrow's nieces but the rest he couldn't remember their names.

Yang responded, rubbing her wrists, "Our reception didn't really convey that."

James sighed and closed his eyes, all he could do was apologize and even that he could only do so many times but he had to start somewhere and so he did, "I sincerely regret how you were treated by my team."

It didn't take an expert to recognize that his response wouldn't go over that well, but he had walked to his desk hoping to ignore all the looks, eyerolls. "When a rogue airship entered our airspace, it raised some red flags." James sat down at his desk. "We assumed the ship had been stolen."

"Stolen?" Ruby asked, then started to nervously fidget, "Okay yeah, it was stolen."

James chuckled at her honesty and the overall antics this group had done to arrive in Atlas.

Winter however had gotten angry, concern for her sister's safety, "You stole an Atlas airship?" she began but James must admit he had stopped listening.

Taking the time to look at Qrow, to hope that he still believed in him, it had been too long since they last saw each other, since they had spoken.

He tuned back into the conversation just as Winter turned towards Qrow, "But I cannot believe that you allowed this to happen, Qrow!"

Qrow took one hand out of his pocket and pointed it at Ruby, "You try stoppin' these kids when they have their mind set on something."

James suspected that Qrow really hadn't tried to stop them. "Speaking of which," Qrow continued speaking, sounding just a little annoyed. "We have some important information for you that's... confidential."

James opened his mouth to speak but Penny and Winter jumped in, presumably not liking Qrow's tone of voice.

Qrow had seemed more than a little shocked that James had told two people, disregarding that he was currently traveling around with a group of teenagers, James informed them that he had told the Ace ops everything too.

James sincerely hoped that Qrow could and would understand his thinking, that he could respect his honesty. The two had been close once and they trusted each other. Qrow was the only person James could still trust everything with, and he hoped the same held true with Qrow.

Throughout that meeting, James having to defend his actions, explain his plan and find out that Ozpin was there but something had happened that he suspected they were hiding from him. He understood, he did. Their arrival had been unorthodox and their reception less than ideal.

But he had hoped that Qrow would have told them he was trustworthy. But his hopes that Qrow still felt the same were dashed all the same, with the disappointment that was settling in around him. He tried so many ways in that meeting to show them, to show him he could be trusted. That he still could be trusted.

It had seemed towards the end of it, with only a slight hesitation from Ruby, that they had trusted him. It had seemed like they weren't telling him everything which he hoped they would in time.

After he promised them all that the military will upgrade all their weaponry, he dismissed them as pleasantly as he could. After everyone left the room, Penny running ahead to show them all around. Winter hung back for a second until James dismissed her too. He sighed, placing his elbows on his desk and running his hands through his hair. Today had been a long day, but now that Qrow was here, that he was in the same building as him. He needed to know, he needed to see him. He got up from his desk then, his mind fixated on one thought. ‘I meant it when I said it was good to see you again.’ He had to convince Qrow of that, he just had to. He didn’t care how everyone else felt about him, he couldn’t afford to. But Qrow was different. Qrow was his friend, the only person who mattered to him. Who he valued his input, his knowledge and skills. He saw the back of Qrow’s head, saw that the teenagers were talking with the Ace ops. He waited until the rest left; he couldn’t risk Qrow using someone as an excuse to get away. He didn’t want to be seen with what he was about to do.

“Qrow.” He called out when he saw that Qrow was about to leave, presumably to find someplace to sleep as he didn’t want to stay at the dorms.

Qrow stopped and turned around, confusion on his face as he stared up at James.

James walked down the stairs, trying to showcase the confidence he didn’t feel. He reached Qrow too soon. He took a deep breath, “I meant it when I said it was good to see you again.”

Qrow’s confusion turned to surprise, “Uh…” he nervously raised his hand to scratch at the back of his head, “Yeah… you too”

James couldn’t help it, Qrow was too cute in that moment. He reached forward and brought Qrow into a hug. Allowing himself a moment’s peace, which of course brought all those unwanted thoughts that often kept him up at night. The Vytal festival, Mantle’s people suffering, the council, the endless amounts of responsibilities and guilt, Vytal… he felt pressure on his back as Qrow put his hand down on his back, he could feel the quiet chuckle, could practically see the eyeroll. They stayed like that for a few minutes, both just enjoying the feeling of having someone else to be intimate with. Both trying to stay afloat in everything that was trying to drown them.

Qrow pulled away first with a small laugh, “That was…”

James lowered his hands, “Something... yes…” James cleared his throat, the hug wasn’t something he meant to do. But he was glad that he had, it seemed to clear the air between them. “I- “he started.

“Jim.” Qrow said, softly. James stopped and stared at Qrow. “Are you going to…?”

James opened and closed his mouth several times. The hug seemed to have reaffirmed their trust in each other but now it felt awkward. “Do you want to stay at my place?” He mumbled before he could stop himself.

Qrow stared in surprise. “Yeah. Yes Jim. I would love to.”

James chuckled, “Then… I’ll show you where it is.” In all the times Qrow had been to Atlas, he'd never stayed long enough to know that he was welcome to stay in James' quarters.

Qrow smiled him his famous crooked smile. “Thanks Jim.”

They started walking the opposite direction from the direction of the rest. Qrow stopped James by placing his hand on his arm. “I actually have missed this. Us.”

James smiled, “I think we need to catch up.”

Qrow nodded, “It is good to see you again.” He let slip.

James leaned forward and pulled Qrow towards him. Qrow placed a hand on James’ chest. James stopped. “It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just I’m exhausted, and I think we should pick things up in the morning."

James grabbed Qrow’s hand, “Then allow me to introduce you to the comfiest bed you’ve ever laid eyes on.”

“Careful Jimmy, I may end up leaving you for your mattress.” Qrow joked as they walked.

Once they arrived at his quarters, James having to drop Qrow’s hand to unlock the door. Qrow pushing him through, promptly turning him around and dragging him into a kiss. A kiss that deepened by the second as Qrow kicked the door shut which allowed James to lead Qrow to the bed backwards. Qrow’s hand slipping under James’ jacket, he tsked when there was another couple of layers preventing him from connecting with James’ chest.

James turned Qrow around so he could push him onto the bed. Qrow looked up with hooded eyes. “I thought you were exhausted?” he asked quietly.

“I thought you wanted to catch up?” Qrow retorted.

James smirked, “And you decided to forgo sleeping?”

Qrow rolled his eyes, “I can sleep in tomorrow, I don’t need Harbinger upgraded.”

James started removing his clothing. “Really? I suppose I could rearrange my schedule in the morning, to make time for talking.”

Qrow watched his hands move painstakingly slow to remove the articles of clothing. Groaning as James had to carefully fold his uniform on top of his dresser. James wanted to hang everything up but Qrow was there, in his room, on his bed, looking annoyed at how James was taking his time.

“Will you just get over here already before I change my mind, again?” Qrow complained.

James complied and leaned over Qrow, pulling him into another kiss. Qrow pulled away, “Why have you never grown out a beard before?”

James stared, “It wasn’t something I thought of doing.” He admitted.

Qrow ran a hand through it, “It’s sexy and soft as all hell.” He pulled James down and as he did, so the light bulb blew, casting them into darkness. Which was something they didn’t mind, it allowed them to feel each other instead of seeing.

Some time in the morning Qrow would complain that it was too bright in the room as James put a new dust bulb in place, one meant to withstand a lot more than simple use. James would bring them coffee and doughnuts from the store, and they would spend the next several hours talking about everything that happened while they were apart and now that they were together again, they could finally define what was between them.

**Author's Note:**

> So I tried to include a little bit more of a make out session. ;)


End file.
